The game of pocket billiards, or "pool", has been a popular recreational activity for many years. Many different games have been developed around the game of billiards or "pool". Pool is a game in which one or more players move a plurality of balls about a planar surface on a pool or billiards table in order to either position the balls on the table or "pocket" the balls within one of several "pockets" provided about the periphery of the playing surface of the table.
"Pool" or "billiards" can be played by one or more players. When one person plays "pool" or "billiards" (the two terms will hereinafter be used interchangeably), the person is most often playing to improve his skill at the game. When two players play, they most often compete against one another. In competition, players most commonly compete against one another in order to determine which player is capable of making the most, and most difficult, shots resulting in the pocketing of balls. When "billiards" is played, players generally compete to determine who is most able to position particular balls within specified areas on the table.
Therefore, in order to play pool, billiards, or pocket billiards, a player must accurately position "object" balls on the table by striking the object balls with a single cue ball which is, in turn, struck by the player with a "cue stick". Players are rated according to their ability to accurately position balls within "pockets" positioned about the surface of the table or within specified regions on the table.
Over the last several years, several of the more popular games in pocket billiards involve shooting the object balls into the pockets in a predetermined sequence. For example, the game of "9-ball" requires that each player pocket the object balls in numerical order, starting with the 1-ball and ending with the 9-ball. Not only is it important to be able to pocket the object balls, it is equally important to strike or "shoot" the cue ball with a "cue stick" so that the cue ball will come to rest in a location which will facilitate the pocketing of the next ball in the sequence. This skill, which is also required in the classical game of "billiards", is called the art of "getting in shape." That is, the player must leave the cue ball in a position so that it is lined up for the next shot in sequence. This skill requires much more practice beyond the simple ability of being able to strike an object ball with a cue ball so as to move or pocket it. Further, players rate themselves against one another by determining who is best able to strike the object balls with the cue ball so as to make comparatively more difficult shots.